I love Lucy Fred and Ethel sell the brownstone
by susan cousineau
Summary: This is the story of the Mertz and Ricardo family. Fred and Ethel decide to retire and sell the old apartment house where they had lived for so many years.


Lucy and Ethel had been friends for many years and it had been three years since they had moved to Connecticut. The journey between the apartment in New York and their new home was too much trouble for the two of them. Fred was now sixty five years old and Ethel was now fifty-two. It was time for them to retire.  
The taxes in the city had been going up steadily and the once quiet little part of town was not the same as it had once been. There were now gangs in the area and sometimes Fred and Ethel had not felt safe lately. It was not the same it had taken a big turn for the worst.

Fred had been grumbling for the past year that it was too much for him and that keeping a manager at the office was way too expensive. He either needed to move back to New York or sell the building.  
Another problem with the building was the vacancy rate. People were not like they once were. He had a tenant a few months ago that in three months had completely destroyed his apartment. It had taken so long to get him out of the building. He was there but six weeks and Fred had wanted him out, but he had rights. Fred had to go to housing court and gotten an eviction notice to have the man removed.  
Real estate was going out of sight in New York and he hoped that he could make a good profit. Money had always been upmost in his mind. It was on a Monday morning in early April that Fred made the decision to speak to Ethel about the sale. Her name was on the property so he would need her permission to sell.  
When he had approached his wife of over thirty years about the sale, he had been glad to see that she agreed with him. Ethel was tired of the long trips into the city and the late night calls that were always being received about some sort of trouble at their building. It was time for them to relax and enjoy their new home Westport Connecticut was their home now and it was time to sell.  
Ethel and Fred Mertz had lived with their friends Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. They lived in the small cottage behind the Ricardo's large home. The neighborhood had felt like theirs for about two years now, and Ethel wanted to stay there and not goo back and forth to New York anymore.  
That night the Mertz's went over to the Ricardos for dinner and a game of cards. It was there that the Mertz's told Lucy and Ricky about thier plans. They were pleased to find that their friends agreed that it was time for them to sell the brownstone.  
The next morning Fred and Ethel went into the city and had a meeting with a real estate agent about the sale. The agent agreed to go on over and do an assessment of the home. Fred and Ethel went over to their brownstone to make sure that it was clean and ready for such an inspection. The home was in good shape, and their superintendent had kept it up and clean. They saw Marcus, the superintendent and explained to them their plans.  
Marcus arrived at the brownstone at 11 am as he had promised and began the inspection. He went over every single piece of the land and building and then told them that he would go over some figures and would get back to the Mertz's later that day.  
Fred had looked the building over and yes it did need some work. He would have to do the work so that he could get top dollar for the building. The roof would need some minor repair and the hallways and stairways needed some better lighting and a good paint job.  
When Marcus called Fred that afternoon , Fred thought that he was going to have a heart attack or something. He knew that the prices had gone up in New York, but he had a mortgage of over fifteen thousand dollars and was hoping to have a few thousand left over after he paid all the taxes and fees for the sale and had finished off the mortgage.  
He had no idea that is little brownstone on 623 E. 68th Street would bring over two hundred thousand dollars. It was his wildest dream. He and Ethel would be set for life. They could afford to buy a small home for themselves. Ethel could not believe her ears when Fred told her of the price that the realty agent had recommended for the sale of their old home.  
Both Fred and Ethel knew that with that much money, they could easily afford a new home and not even worry about money ever again. They knew that homes in the Westport area started at about thirty thousand dollars. Their money would last for years.  
When the Mertz's arrived in Connecticut they couldn't wait to go and see their friends the Ricardo's. The news was great and they were going to stay in New York for a while. There was a one bedroom apartment that was not rented and they would be staying there until the building was sold.  
Lucy and Ricky were glad to help out their friends. There was the problem of doing minor repairs, and Lucy wanted to help out. The last thing that they needed was Lucy helping out. She was like a bull in a china shop. Lucy had always meant well but things happen when she is around and Fred didn't want any part of it.  
But, Lucy was Ethel's best friend and she wanted her with her for a little while anyway. So it was with much trepidation Fred agreed to have Lucy come with them for a short time anyway. She could stay with them for a short time in New York. Spring vacation was coming up and little Ricky could stay with his dad some of the time and with Lucy the rest of the time.  
That Saturday the three friends Fred Ethel and Lucy took the train into New York. They were out to help get the brownstone ready for sale. Lucy and Ethel would do the painting of the banister and the stairway while Fred did some simple electrical work.  
Now anytime that Lucy and Ethel get together to do some project such as painting trouble would be brewing. Lucy and Ethel both had on overalls and a painters hat. They had filled a couple of buckets with paint and had their brushes ready.  
It wasn't long before Lucy went to reach for something crossways and got her foot stuck in the bucket of paint. While Ethel was busy trying to get her foot out without spilling all the paint on the floor she was not successful.  
As anyone could imagine, with Lucy standing on one foot and trying her best to pull her friends foot out of the pail, the paint went everywhere. It was all over Lucy and Ethel's face and clothes. The rug was then ruined and oh Fred was so mad at the two of them.  
The rest of the afternoon was spent with the two women cleaning up the mess and once again attempting to paint the hallway and stairs. Just as they were finished cleaning the different locations Lucy heard one of the neighbors talking.  
Ethel knew that it was senseless for her to talk to Lucy about not getting involved, but Lucy had heard the man and woman discussing the television show and they were talking about her husband Ricky being on a show again. Lucy just had to get on television. Her husband was always getting the attention, she was going to be on television no matter what.  
When Lucy called her husband she begged him to let her on the show. She knew that he would need to be convinced some way or another. Ricky was used to her different modes of convincing and Lucy would have to come up with a new angle.  
The next day was Sunday and Ricky and little Ricky were coming to New York for a visit. It  
was a warm day and Lucy was so glad to see her son. Even though it had only been a day she had missed him dearly.  
With Rickys help Fred had been able to finish most of the work on the building, and even though Ethel and Lucy were not very good workers and the problems that they had made for themselves, the painting was done. Now all that needed to be done mostly was the clean and scrub every nook and cranny in the building. For two hundred thousand dollars Fred said that the house had to be ship shape top to bottom.  
That night as Lucy put little Ricky to bed she thought about how to convince her husband to let her appear on television. "Oh Ricky please, I haven't been on any of your shows in weeks. With me in Westport, you have not had my help. I know that you are looking for a lady to fill the part of a dancing senorita. Please.I can be the best woman for the part." Lucy begged.  
"No and for the last time, I will not have my wife appearing on stage. That is final. We need you back at our home in Connecticut. You are a great mother and a great neighbor for everyone, we all want you at home." Ricky warned her.  
Lucy shook her head yes and went about her other businesses. She would work on him later, for now she just wanted to get a good nights rest. That was not going to be an easy thing as the apartment had very limited furnishings and the only bed in the house was being used by little Ricky. They would be sleeping in sleeping bags on the living room floor.  
The next afternoon the apartment was looked at by a man and a woman who were planning on getting married in the next three months. They had the means to make the purchase and were impressed with the house.  
Fred had his hopes up that the building would be sold quickly. He did not feel like staying in this one bedroom apartment for long. There was no television for him to watch and sleeping on the floor at his age was not very good.  
On Monday morning Lucy went back to her home in Westport Connecticut. She was needed there and her son and husband were both in need of caring for. Again for the first time in years Ethel and Lucy were separated again for the first time in over two years.  
Back at her home in Westport Connecticut Lucy was busy taking care of the large home that she and Ricky owned. She was still working on a scheme that would allow her to be in the show that her husband was going to appear on. She just had to get a chance to be seen on television, one way or another she would be on television.  
'Think, think' Lucy told herself. It was then that she came up with the idea of what to do to get on television. She knew that Ricky would be needing someone to run the commercal. He was always looking for someone to do the commercial. This is where she would make her move, she would apply to be the girl in the commercial under her maiden name. The new producer that  
Ricky had hired had never met her before.  
The next day she had her neighbor watch little Ricky and Lucy headed back to New York. She would meet with her friend Ethel after she was sure that she would have the job for the commercial that Ricky would be using for the show.  
As Lucy arrived at the Tropicanna, the place where her husband had a band. Ricky was the bandleader and she would have to make sure that he didn't see her. Ricky was not supposed to be in New York for another three hours but she never knew.  
The commercial was supposed to be a commercial for kent cigarettes. Lucy was supposed to be the cigarette girl and read her words carefully. The small part that Lucy was to have in the commercial seemed as though it was a simple part. But, anytime that Lucy wanted something she would get her way one way or another. Ethel Fred and her husband were well aware of this and Lucy just couldn't understand why Ricky kept trying to keep her from his show business.  
Lucy got the job to do the commercial. She had applied under her maiden name and she had been right the producer did not recognize her.  
That night she was at the nightclub getting ready for commercial, when Ethel and Fred told her that they would be appearing in the show. Because Lucy was supposed to be in Westport Connecticut Ricky thought that he was safe.  
Unfortunately when Lucy got something in her mind there was little anyone could do to stop her. She would be in that show if it killed her.  
Lucy was just getting set up when Ricky went by. He grabbed her arm and asked her what she was doing there. He was very angry as you could see it in his face.  
Mark your new producer was nice enough for me to appear in his commercial. You will see that I will do a good job hon. Please."  
It was useless for Ricky to argue with her he knew that it was too late for him to find a replacement. The show was set to be going on the air in less than an hour.  
Lucy had been setting up for the commercial and was told what she was to do. She was to tell the audience what a good smoke they could get from the best tasting cigarette around, but she was to take a deep puff of that cigarette afterwards.  
Lucy went about the commercial and everything seemed to be going all right until Lucy nervously lit her dress on fire while trying to light her cigarette. Oh what a mess she was trying to put the fire out when one of the stage hands had to throw a bucket of water on her dress. She was not injured but her pride was hurt.  
Ricky had been watching the whole scenerio and had started to run to his wifes assistance. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Here was his wife standing on live television nearly burning to death, couldn't she be more careful. But the show went on and it turned out to be a very popular show after all. Again one of Lucy s brain dead ideas had worked as people had thought that she was joking about the fire.  
Two weeks later Fred got the call that he had been waiting for. The young couple that they had first met had decided to purchase the old brownstone that he and Ethel had owned for the least twenty five years.  
Fred and Ethel Mertz found themselves a wealthy couple that day. Even after paying all of the fees and taxes and the mortgage, they received a check for one hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. For once Ethel thought they did not have to concern themselves with money for quite a while. It had been so long since money wasn't their prime concern Ethel wanted to have a celebration evening Ethel closed the downstairs door and locked it for the last time. In the morning they would no longer own the home. She knew it was silly for her to think about it as sad, she had wanted to seel the building. But it was an end to her life in New York as she knew it.  
Little did the Mertzs know, but Lucy had been planning a tentative party for a few days after her good friends had sold their old home. When the Mertz's got home that night there was a big party in their honor. It was a gala party and many of their old friends had come to Westport for the evenings from the city.  
It was then that Fred told Ricky that they would be looking for a home in their area. It was not that he and Ethel weren't happy there, it just made good business sense. The taxes on the windfall that they had just received was going to be very high unless they made some kind of investment with the money.  
After all the party goers had left Lucy and Ricky began picking up. Ricky had been thinking, perhaps it was good if the Mertzs were offered the home that they now resided in. The second home was to have been a guest home. The property was too large for the three members of the Ricardos anyway.  
The next morning Lucy and Ricky invited their friends over once again. It was then that they offered their friends a deed to the house where they were now living.  
Fred wanted to know how much for the house where they were now living. Ethel knew that was the way of thinking that her husband had always had . He was always interested in money and never wanted to spend a nickel.  
Ricky had been thinking hard of how much he had wanted for the cottage. It had come with the house and he knew that he had paid forty thousand dollars for the home and cottage. He and Lucy would live in the larger home, and would keep most of the land. Ethel and Fred had told him before that Ricky and Lucy that they did not want a large yard. So he told them that he would want fifteen thousand dollars for the home.  
Fred thought about the price and knew that if he and Ethel were to get another home the cot would be at least that much money and he was getting fond of living in the cottage. He looked at his wife and she smiled and nodded yes. It was then decided that the deal was on.  
One week later the two families met at their lawyers office to sign the papers to the home and the changing of the deeds. Since they were now to have two different properties a new deed would have to be drawn.  
That evening the two families had another party, this time it was to celebrate the Mertzs buying the cottage. The cottage had been theirs for over two years, and it seemed appropriate that the home be theirs.  
Little Ricky couldn't have been any happier. His god parents were to live in their home for good now. He had missed them when they had gone back to New York. They had been such a big part of his life when they had lived in New York and the time that they moved to Westport.  
Life was good here at the Ricardo and Mertz home.


End file.
